Ready, Set, Pay: Parking officials ready to cite offenders

According to the Armstrong Police Department, the parking regulations were established to maintain control of traffic and parking for the safety of all people using the parking areas on campus. Michelle Prather is a community service officer at Armstrong who, like any employee of the Armstrong Police Department, enforces the regulations. She offers advice as to what to do when it comes to parking on campus.

DO buy a current parking decal and be sure to obtain the correct one. Prather says, “The most common violation is not having a current decal…[and] it is the responsibility of the student to acquire the proper student decal.” Commuter student parking decals are valid while the student is enrolled at Armstrong, while the residential student decals are valid only while the student has a current housing contract and is also enrolled at ASU.

A universal permit option is available to all residential and commuter students. Vehicles bearing this permit are able to park in their assigned residential lots or commuter student parking spaces from 7 a.m. to midnight. The cost of the universal permit is $75 when purchased for the fall, $60 if purchased in the spring, and $40 for the summer semester. These permits are non-refundable. Once the decal is expired, decals can either be purchased online or at the Armstrong Police Department.

DON’T just park anywhere. The purchased decal for commuter students allows parking spaces only along University Drive, the Science Center parking lot, the Sports Center parking lot, and the Victor Hall parking lot. Commuter students may park in the Armstrong Center parking lot only while attending class at the Armstrong Center. Reverse parking where it impedes pedestrian traffic or grounds maintenance is prohibited. Residential students must park in the lot designated for their specific complex.

Commuter students may park in faculty/staff parking spaces, but only between the times of 4:30 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. on weekdays and 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. on weekends. On holidays and breaks, faculty/staff spaces are reserved. Vehicles parked in prohibited areas, fire zones, crosswalks, on the grass, on sidewalks, and other spaces labeled ‘No Parking,’ or without a valid parking decal will be ticketed and may be immobilized or towed at the owner’s expense.

DO pay your parking tickets. As infractions occur, citations pile up becoming quite costly for students. Citations should be taken seriously, because it could mean losing your car. Prather says, “Once a third citation is handed out to a vehicle, the car can be booted. Before this happens, a notification will be given to the owner. If a citation is not paid, a banner account will be placed on the student’s records which can hurt students in the long run.”

Students do have the ability to appeal a citation. Those who wish to do so must go to the Armstrong Police Department within seven days of the date that the citation was issued. Appeal forms are available at the office or can be printed online and delivered to the department with a copy of the citation.

DON’T be afraid to ask questions. If students have questions concerning parking regulations, they should visit the Armstrong Police Department located at the back of the Science Center parking lot. Prather mentions, “We’re open 24 hours a day, so students can come by at any time and ask questions.” With that advice in mind, understanding the rules and regulations just might keep students from having to pay up.